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Shigella spp. are water-borne pathogens responsible for mild to severe cases bacilli dysentery all around the world known as Shigellosis. The progressively increasing of antibiotic resistance among Shigella calls for developing and establishing novel alternative therapeutic methods. The present study aimed to evaluate a novel phage cocktail of lytic phages against extended spectrum beta lactamase isolates of Shigella species in an aquatic environment. The phage cocktail containing six novel Shigella specific phages showed a broad host spectrum. The cocktail was very stable in aquatic environment. The cocktail resulted in about 99% decrease in the bacterial counts in the contaminated water by several species and strains of Shigella such as Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri and Shigella dysenteriae. Achieving such a high efficiency in this in-vitro study demonstrates a high potential for in-vivo and in-situ application of this phage cocktail as a bio-controlling agent against Shigella spp. contamination and infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the infection of different animals and non-human primates with other members of Anelloviridae have already been reported there is no report about infection of animals with Torque teno midi virus/Small anellovirs (TTMDV/SAV). The aim of this study was to detect the virus in domestic village chickens. Blood samples were collected from 79 domestic village chickens in Isfahan. Blood samples of five adult laying hens and one cockerel were collected in three consecutive weeks (days 1, 8 and 14) as experimental chickens. Ten eggs were randomly collected from the eggs laid during days 12 to 17 and thin and thick egg whites and yolk samples were collected aseptically. After DNA extraction Nested-PCR was performed using SMAs/SMAr primers. In PCR, 431 bp and 441 bp products were detected. The detected bands were extracted and sequenced. Totally 26 out of 79 (32.9%) of the blood samples were positive for the virus. The frequency of the infection of the different parts of the eggs tested was 76%. For the first time TTMDV/SAV was detected in domestic village chickens which also vertically transmitted to eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen in hospital setting and in the community and causes a wide range of diseases. MRSA infection has recently become a serious problem in anti-microbial chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to detect and analyze the antibiotic diversity and isolation of methicillin resistance gene (mecA) of S. aureus isolated from Tehran hospitals as a rapid and reliable method. Patients and methods: We studied 585 isolates of staphylococcus spp. recovered from patients at 3 clinical centers in Tehran from October 2005 to October 2006. Antibiotic susceptibility test of isolates was achieved with 13 antibiotics by disc diffusion. The MIC of methicillin was also performed by broth micro dilution assay. PCR was used for detection of mecA gene. Results: Totally, 321 (54.7%) isolates were identified as S. aureus. 66, 65, 88, 88, 100, 41, 38, 41, 0, 40, 93, 20 and 64% of S. aureus isolates were resistant to kanamycin, cephotaxim, methicillin, oxacillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprime, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and tetracycline, respectively. All MRSA and 63% of intermediate isolates carried mecA gene. Conclusion: In contrary to other studies in Iran, the prevalence of methicillin resistance is rising up in Tehran and most of MRSA isolates were resistance to 5 antibiotics at least. Vancomycin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin and clindamycin are the most effective antibiotics. All MRSA isolates had mecA gene with different expression. Detection of mecA gene is a rapid and reliable method for identification of MRSA isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background SEN virus is a blood-borne, circular ssDNA virus and possessing nine genotypes (A to I). Among nine genotypes, SENV-D and SENV-H genotypes have the strong link with patients with unknown (none-A to E) hepatitis infections. Infection with blood-borne viruses is the second important cause of death in thalassemic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of SENV-D and SENV-H genotypes viremia by performing nested-PCR in 120 and 100 sera from healthy blood donors and thalassemic patients in Guilan Province, North of Iran respectively. Also, to explicate a possible role of SEN virus in liver disease and established changes in blood factors, the serum aminotransferases (ALT and AST) and some of the blood factors were measured. Results Frequency of SENV-D, SENV (SENV-H or SENV-D) and co-infection (both SENV-D and SENV-H) viremia was significantly higher among thalassemic patients than healthy individuals. Frequency of SENV-H viremia was significantly higher than SENV-D among healthy individuals. In comparison to SENV-D negative patients, the mean of mean corpuscular hemoglobin was significantly higher in SENV-D positive and co-infection cases (P < 0.05). The means of AST and ALT were significantly higher in thalassemic patients than healthy blood donors, but there were not any significant differences in the means of the liver levels between SENV-positive and -negative individuals in healthy blood donors and thalassemic patients. High nucleotide homology observed among PCR amplicon's sequences in healthy blood donors and thalassemic patients. Conclusions The high rate of co-infection shows that different genotypes of SENV have no negative effects on each other. The high frequency of SENV infection among thalassemic patients suggests blood transfusion as main route of transmission. High frequency of SENV infection in healthy individuals indicates that other routes rather than blood transfusion also are important. Frequency of 90.8% of SENV infection among healthy blood donors as well as high nucleotide homology of sequenced amplicons between two groups can probably suggest that healthy blood donors infected by SENV act partly as a source of SENV transmission to the thalassemic patients. In conclusion, SENV-D isolate in Guilan Province may be having a pathogenic agent for thalassemic patients.

The primary goal of the present study is to inspect the plausible job-related (i.e., challenge stressors and role blurring) and individual factors (i.e., fatigue and insomnia) that potentially lead to work-related cognitive failures among healthcare staff. Through the judgmental sampling technique, data was collected from healthcare personnel in Iran. The results revealed that challenge stressors in the form of time pressure, job responsibility, and work overload are significantly related to role blurring. Moreover, role blurring increases fatigue and insomnia among medical staff, and both insomnia and fatigue cause workplace cognitive failure. The results also confirm the mediation effect of role blurring in the association between challenge stressors, insomnia, and fatigue. According to the results, insomnia and fatigue similarly mediate the role blurring on workplace cognitive failure association. Theoretical implications, useful suggestions for practitioners, and prospective research avenues are debated in the study., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The most frequent infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are local infections in soft tissues, including burns. Today, phage use is considered a suitable alternative to cure infections caused by multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria. We investigated the potential of a novel phage (vB&#95;PaS-HSN4) belonging to Caudoviricetes class, against XDR and MDR P. aeruginosa strains in vivo and in vitro. Its biological and genetic characteristics were investigated. The phage burst size and latent were 119 and 20 min, respectively. It could tolerate a broad range of salt concentrations, pH values, and temperatures. The combination with ciprofloxacin significantly enhanced biofilm removal after 24 h. The genome was dsDNA with a size of 44,534 bp and encoded 61 ORFs with 3 tRNA and 5 promoters. No virulence factor was observed in the phage genome. In the in vivo infection model, treatment with vB&#95;PaS-HSN4 increased Galleria mellonella larvae survival (80%, 66%, and 60%) (MOI 100) and (60%, 40%, and 26%) (MOI 1) in the pre-treatment, co-treatment, and post-treatment experiments, respectively. Based on these characteristics, it can be considered for the cure of infections of burns caused by P. aeruginosa., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women, and its treatment has many side effects. Therefore, in this research, the effects of the LaSota strain of oncolytic Newcastle disease virus vaccine on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) patients were investigated., Methods: 15 patients who met the inclusion criteria and diagnosed as CIN II and CIN III were included in the study. The vaccine was injected inside the cervix (neoplasia site) at increasing doses during 21 days, and they were evaluated for adverse events. NDV antibody titer was measured in 90 days and the levels of ki-67 and p16 proteins were studied by immunohistochemistry. Also, the levels of some important inflammatory cytokines in the serum of CIN patients were measured and finally the patients were evaluated according to the final outcomes and the reduction of tumor lesions., Results: Only in the first dose of vaccine some patients showed flu-like symptoms. The accumulation of NDV antibodies started on the 7th day of the study and increased until the 90th day. Administration of LaSota vaccine had no significant effect on the expressions of Ki-67 and p16 proteins. Nevertheless, a decrease in the serum levels of Il-1β was observed in patients after the administration of the vaccine, but the serum levels of both Il-2 and INF-γ upregulated significantly. Also, vaccine administration had no significant effect in reducing CIN grades and lesions., Conclusions: In general, we concluded that LaSota strain of NDV vaccine has no therapeutic effectiveness in CIN patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can damage soft tissues and supporting teeth. Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen usually living in the oral cavity and plays a critical role in apical periodontitis that significantly threatens human health. The use of bacteriophages as an alternative way to eliminate bacterial infections is a promising approach. E. faecalis was isolated from the depth of dental packets of patients with periodontitis. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using 16 antimicrobial agents. Also, a specific virulent bacteriophage (vB&#95;EfaS-SRH2) with an irregular pentagonal morphology of the head and a non-contractile tail belonging to the Siphoviridae, was isolated from wastewater in East of Isfahan, Iran, and its physiological and genomic specifications were investigated. The genome was double-strand DNA with 38,746 bp length and encoded 62 putative ORFs. In addition, eight Anti-CRISPERs and 30 Rho-dependent terminators were found. No tRNA was found. It had a short latent period of 15 min and a large burst size of ~ 125. No undesirable genes (antibiotic resistance, lysogenic dependence, and virulence factors) were identified in the genome. Based on physiological properties and genomic characteristics, this phage can be used as a suitable choice in phage therapy for periodontitis and root canal infection., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Many different strategies have been used to fight against the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as a therapeutics or prophylaxis approaches. However, not enough attention has been paid to general and specific immune factors and nutritional components found in hyper-immunized dairy products. Hyper-immune bovine colostrum (HBC) has been used against many different respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts infections during past decades. An isolated dairy farm was established, and nine mixed Holstein X Simmental dairy cattle in their 6-7 months of gestation period were chosen for hyper-immunization with inactivated Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). For this, six cows were inoculated with 2 ml of 10 9.4 /ml (TCID 50 ) of the virus. As a control group, three cows were inoculated with the carrier without virus. Specific IgG level against the SARS-CoV-2 was measured before and after immunization in the sera, and in the colostrum and milk following parturition in hyper-immunized cows using indirect Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Neutralizing antibodies in the serum and colostrum was measured by a quantitative ELISA. The safety of the product was determined in40 healthy volunteers aged between 18-65 years old (13 females and 27 males) in the phase 1 clinical trial (https://www.irct.ir/trial/51259). No adverse effects were observed in the experimental cows. A very high level of IgG was observed in the first colostrum that sharply decreased in the following 7 days in the milk. The titer of specific neutralizing antibody in the colostrum samples was 69 times higher than the sera. No adverse effects and clinical complications were reported by the authorized ethics committee, and an official certificate on the safety of the product was issued. Beside other strategies, this approach could be used for large-scale and low-cost production of immune components to be used as a nutritional supplement to confront current SARS-CoV-2 and future pandemics., Clinical Trial Registration: [https://www.irct.ir/trial/51259]., Competing Interests: HN and MB were employed by the Zeitoon Isfahan Vaccine Innovators Company. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Nili, Bouzari, Attaran, Ghalegolab, Rabani and Mahmoudian.)

The bacteriophage (phage) DNA extraction methods for genomics analysis is a critical and time-consuming process. Hence, a rapid and cost-effective method for DNA extraction of phages is favorable for phage biologists. In the present study, a cost-effective, simple and rapid procedure for phage genome extraction in less than 10 min is introduced. Highly concentrated phage lysates were prepared using acetone precipitation followed by extraction using various methods such as commercial kits, TES lysis buffer, potassium iodide, and sodium iodide. The quality of the extracted DNA was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and UV absorbance of DNA at 260 and 280 nm. Finally, the extracted DNA was subjected to restriction digestion and next-generation sequencing to approve the efficiency of the method. Based on the time, cost, and quality of obtained DNA, the acetone precipitation of phages and extraction by potassium iodide or sodium iodide method was determined to be the best method for phage DNA extraction tested in this study. Moreover, the extracted genomic DNA using this method is suitable for phage genomic analysis such as restriction enzyme studies, preparation of DNA library, and also next-generation sequencing., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Enterococcus faecalis is an environmental agent of bovine mastitis in cows and has many cytopathic effects on the urinary tract in both humans and animals. In this study, a novel lytic bacteriophage, vB&#95;EfaS-DELF1, was isolated against 21 E. faecalis isolated from bovine mastitis, including vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis (VRE). vB&#95;EfaS-DELF1 bacteriophage was specific for E. faecalis and showed no lytic effects against other tested Enterococcus spp., Gram-negative, or Gram-positive bacteria. Moreover, no activity was observed against yogurt starters. The phage suspension was stable in a wide range of pH, salinity, and temperature. It retained its activity in 3.5 % fat milk. vB&#95;EfaS-DELF1 has the common phenotypic features of Siphoviridae with a double-strand DNA of 40,248 bp in length and a G + C content of 34.9 %. The genome encodes 62 putative ORFs and no tRNA. No undesirable genes such as lysogenic mediators, antibiotic resistance, or virulence factor genes were detected in the genome. The comparative genomic analysis demonstrated similarity to the other available phage genomes. The highest similarity was observed with two other phages (50 % coverage and 82.38 % identities with IME-EFm1; 35 % coverage and 86.22 % identities with IME-EFm5) that were placed in the same clade. The differences with the other aligned phages were high and were placed in distant clusters. Regarding the specificity of this new bacteriophage against all of the tested E. faecalis isolates and, in particular, against the vancomycin-resistant ones, and also the absence of antibiotic resistance or virulence genes in its genome, vB&#95;EfaS-DELF1 is suggested as a potential candidate for biocontrol of E. faecalis infections., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Salmonellosis is an important worldwide food-borne disease. Increasing resistance to Salmonella spp. has been reported in recent years, and now the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella spp. is a worldwide problem. This necessitates alternative approaches like phage therapy. This study aimed to isolate bacteriophages specific for Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolated from different sources (chicken meat, beef and eggshells). The antibiotic resistance profiles of the bacteria were determined by phenotypic and genotypic methods. The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes was examined by polymerase chain reaction. In total, 75% of the isolated Salmonella strains were resistant to tetracycline, whereas 70% of them were resistant to azithromycin. All of the isolates from beef were resistant to nalidixic acid. The most common extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes among the isolates were blaSHV (15%) followed by blaTEM (10%) and blaCTX (5%). Two specific bacteriophages were isolated and characterized. The host range for vB&#95;SparS-ui was Salmonella Paratyphi B, S. enterica serovar Paratyphi A and S. enterica, while that for vB&#95;StyS-sam phage was Salmonella Typhimurium and S. enterica serovar Enteritidis. The characteristics of the isolated phages indicate that they are proper candidates to be used to control some foodstuff contaminations and also phage therapy of infected animals., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.)

The globally increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microorganisms such as Shigella , a cause of human acute gastrointestinal infections, calls for developing effective alternatives. In this study, the antibiotic resistance pattern, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-production, and molecular characteristics of 70 multidrug-resistant isolates belong to the two most frequent species of Shigella genus, that is, Shigella sonnei (44 isolates) and Shigella flexneri (26 isolates) were investigated. These isolates were used to evaluate both specificity and activity of Shigella -specific bacteriophages, vB&#95;SflS-ISF001, vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002, and a cocktail of both. Twelve out of the 21 tested resistance genes were detected in the isolates. About 59% of S. sonnei and 46% of S. flexneri isolates were identified as ESBL producers. The bacteriophages showed a high efficiency of plating (EOP ≥0.5) in about 75% of the isolates. Moreover, the growth of >85% of the isolates was inhibited by the phage cocktail of vB&#95;SflS-ISF001 and vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002. The phage cocktail was effective against a wide range of ESBL-positive and -negative isolates of S. sonnei and S. flexneri . Therefore, this phage cocktail has the potential to inhibit or significantly decrease the spread of drug-resistant Shigella in humans, food chains, and water/wastewater sanitation systems.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the most common uropathogenic bacteria. The emergence of multi-drug resistance among these bacteria resulted in a worldwide public health problem which requires alternative treatment approaches such as phage therapy. In this study, phage VB&#95;EcoS-Golestan, a member of Siphoviridae family, with high lytic ability against E. coli isolates, was isolated from wastewater. Its burst size was large and about 100 plaque-forming units/infected cell, rapid adsorption time, and high resistance to a broad range of pH and temperatures. Bioinformatics analysis of the genomic sequence suggests that VB&#95;EcoS-Golestan is a new phage closely related to Escherichia phages in the Kagunavirus genus, Guernseyvirinae subfamily of Siphoviridae. The genome size was 44829 bp bp that encodes 78 putative ORFs, no tRNAs, 7 potential promoter sequences and 13 Rho-factor-independent terminators. No lysogenic mediated genes were detected in VB&#95;EcoS-Golestan genome. Overall VB&#95;EcoS-Golestan might be used as a potential treatment approach for controlling E. coli mediated urinary tract infection, however, further studies are essential to ensure its safety.

Objectives: Shigella spp. are an important group of waterborne pathogens worldwide. This study aimed to determine the frequency of Shigella spp. in a large collection of water samples and to uncover molecular aspects of antimicrobial resistance in the recovered isolates., Methods: The antimicrobial resistance patterns, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), including β-lactamases (bla TEM , bla SHV , bla CTX-M , bla OXA , bla PER , bla VEB , bla GES and bla CMY ), carbapenemases (bla KPC , bla NDM and bla IMP ), plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes [qnrA, qnrB, qnrS and aac(6')-Ib] and tetracycline resistance genes [tet(A), tet(B), tet(C) and tet(D)], as well as class 1 and 2 integrons were analysed in Shigella spp. isolated from different water sources in Iran., Results: Of 788 tested samples, Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri were detected in 9 (1.1%) and 6 (0.8%) samples, respectively. A multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype was observed in all of the isolates. Among the 15 Shigella isolates, 12 (80.0%), 5 (33.3%) and 7 (46.7%) were positive for genes encoding β-lactam resistance, PMQR and tetracycline resistance, respectively. Class 1 integrons were more frequently detected among the isolates (8/15; 53.3%), consisting of 7 isolates (87.5%) with dfrA17-aadA5 and 1 isolate (12.5%) with sat1-aadA1 gene cassettes. The class 2 integron was detected in 3 isolates (20.0%) with the classic gene cassette array dfrA1-sat2-aadA1., Conclusions: Overall, this study showed that Shigella spp. are prevalent in water sources in Iran. Furthermore, the potential role of ARGs and integrons in the emergence of a MDR phenotype in Shigella isolates of water origin was demonstrated., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Proteus mirabilis is one of the most common causes of complicated urinary tract infections (UTI), especially in catheter-associated UTIs. The increased resistance to antibiotics, among P. mirabilis isolates has led us to search for alternative antibacterial agents. In this study, genome of a lytic Proteus phage VB&#95;PmiS-Isfahan, isolated from wastewater, and active against planktonic and biofilms of P. mirabilis, isolated from UTI, was analyzed. Accordingly, the genome was sequenced and its similarity to other phages was assessed by the Mauve and EasyFig softwares. "One Click" was used for phylogenetic tree construction. The complete genome of VB&#95;PmiS-Isfahan was 54,836 bp, dsDNA with a G+C content of 36.09%. Nighty-one open reading frames (ORFs) was deduced, among them, 23 were considered as functional genes, based on the homology to the previously characterized proteins. The BLASTn of VB&#95;PmiS-Isfahan showed low similarity to complete genome of Salmonella phages VB&#95;SenS&#95;Sasha, 9NA, and VB&#95;SenS-Sergei. A comparison of Nucleic acid and amino acid sequence, and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the phage is novel, significantly differs, and is distant from other genera, within Siphoviridae family. No virulence-associated and antibiotic resistance genes were detected. Thus, VB&#95;PmiS-Isfahan phage is suggested as a potential novel candidate for the treatment of diseases, caused by P. mirabilis., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Shigella spp. can be isolated from various food sources and is responsible for many outbreaks and sporadic cases of foodborne diseases worldwide. Although Shigella species are known as one of the major foodborne pathogens, a few studies have characterized the prevalence and molecular basis of antibiotic resistance of Shigella spp. isolated from food origins. This study investigated the prevalence of Shigella spp. in a wide range of food samples (1400 samples), and the phenotypic and genotypic basis of antimicrobial resistance of the isolates. In addition, the potential of two Shigella specific phages (vB&#95;SflS-ISF001 and vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002) to control the growth of the isolates in food was tested. Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri were detected in 11 (0.8%) and 8 (0.6%) samples, respectively. The highest prevalence of Shigella spp. was observed in vegetables. Multidrug resistance phenotypes were noticeably frequent and observed in 17 isolates (89.5%) out of 19 isolates. Moreover, 13 (68.4%), 9 (47.4%) and 17 (89.5%) isolates were positive for β-lactamase-encoding, plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance and tetracycline resistance genes, respectively. Treatment with the phages reduced bacterial counts up to 3 and 4 log when used individually or in cocktail form, respectively. The findings of this study indicate the prevalence of Shigella spp. in food sources and also provide useful information for a better understanding of the molecular aspects of antimicrobial resistance in Shigella spp.. The results also suggest that the combination of vB&#95;SflS-ISF001 and vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002 phages can effectively reduce contamination of two important species of Shigella in food., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bacteria of the genus Raoultella are known to inhabit aquatic environments and can be found in medical samples. The pathogenicity of Raoultella ornithinolytica isolates in human has become increasingly important, and several cases of infections have been reported recently. However, there are no reports of isolation of bacteriophages infecting this bacterium. In this study, two novel phages (ISF3 and ISF6) of a methylotrophic Raoultella strain were isolated from sewage. To characterize the isolated phages, morphological features, protein profiles, restriction digestion patterns, and partial genome sequences were studied. Despite morphological differences, electron microscopy revealed that both phages had an icosahedral capsid connected to a contractile tail, suggesting that ISF3 and ISF6 both belong to the family Myoviridae. Partial nucleotide sequences of the ISF3 genome showed 99% to 100% identity to DNA of Klebsiella pneumonia phages KP15, KP27 and BMBT1; however, the restriction digestion profiles of ISF3 genome digested by EcoRI and EcoRV differed from those of Klebsiella phages KP15 and KP27. A partial sequence alignment showed that ISF6 can be classified as a member of a new viral genus due to its significant differences from other previously identified phages. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation and characterization of the specific Raoultella phages that have potential to be used as new pharmaceuticals against R. ornithinolytica.

Background: Shigella dysenteriae is one of the members of Shigella genus which was the main responsible of different Shigellosis outbreaks worldwide. The increasing consumption of antibiotics has led to the emergence and spreading of antibiotic-resistant strains. Therefore, finding new alternatives for infection control is essential, one of which is using bacteriophages., Materials and Methods: Lytic bacteriophage against Shigella dysenteriae was isolated from petroleum refinery wastewater. Phage morphological and genetic characteristics were studied using TEM, and sequencing, respectively. In addition, the genome size was estimated, and phage resistance to different temperatures and pH, host range, adsorption rate, and one-step growth were investigated., Results: According to the morphology and genetic results, this phage was named vB-SdyS-ISF003. Sequencing of the PCR products revealed that the vB-SdyS-ISF003 phage belongs to the species T1virus, subfamily Tunavirinae of family Siphoviridae. This was the first detected bacteriophage against S. dysenteriae, which belongs to the family Siphoviridae. In addition, its host range was limited to S. dysenteriae. The genome size was about 62 kb. vB-SdyS-ISF003 phage has a number of desirable characteristics including the limited host range to S. dysenteriae, very short connection time, a relatively wide range of temperature tolerance -20 to 50 °C, pH tolerance of 7-9 without significant reduction in the phage titer., Conclusion: vB-SdyS-ISF003 is a novel virulent T1virus phage and has the appropriate potential for being used in bio controlling of S. dysenteriae in different condition., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Antibiotic resistance is increasing among Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains isolated from urinary tract infection. This necessitates alternative therapies. For this, a lytic phage (vB&#95;SsapS-104) against S. saprophyticus, which formed round and clear plaques on bacterial culture plates, was isolated from hospital wastewater and characterized. Microscopy analysis showed that it had a small head (about 50 nm), tail (about 80 nm), and a collar (about 22 nm in length and 19 nm in width) indicating to be a phage within Siphoviridae family. Phage vB&#95;SsapS-104 showed a large latency period of about 40 min, rapid adsorption rate that was significantly enhanced by MgCl 2 and CaCl 2 , and high stability to a wide range of temperatures and pH values. Restriction analyses demonstrated that phage consists of a double-stranded DNA with an approximate genome size of 40 Kb. BLAST results did not show high similarity (megablast) with other previously identified phages. But, in Blastn, similarity with Staphylococcus phages was observed. Phage vB&#95;SsapS-104 represented high anti-bacterial activity against S. saprophyticus isolates in vitro as it was able to lyse 8 of the 9 clinical isolates (%88.8) obtained from a hospital in Gorgan, Iran. It was a S. saprophyticus-specific phage because no lytic activity was observed on some other pathogenic bacteria tested. Therefore, phage vB&#95;SsapS-104 can be considered as a specific virulent phage against of S. saprophyitcus isolated from urinary tract infection. This study provided the partial genomic characterization of S. saprophyticus phage and its application against urinary tract infection associated with S. saprophyticus. This phage also can be considered as a good candidate for a therapeutic alternative in the future.

Shigellosis is one of the most important acute enteric infections caused by different species of Shigella, such as Shigella flexneri. Despite the use of antibiotic therapy to reduce disease duration, this approach is becoming less effective due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance among Shigella spp. Bacteriophages have been introduced as an alternative for controlling shigellosis. However, the bacteriophages must be without any lysogenic or virulence factors, toxin coding, or antibiotic-resistant genes. In this study, the whole genome sequence of vB - SflS-ISF001, a virulent Siphoviridae bacteriophage specific for Shigella flexneri, was obtained, and a comparative genomic analysis was carried out to identify its properties and safety. vB - SflS-ISF001 genomic DNA was measured at 50,552 bp with 78 deduced open reading frames (ORFs), with 24 ORFs (30.77%) sharing similarities with proteins from the genomes of homologous phages that had been reported earlier. Genetic analysis classifies it under the genus T1virus of the subfamily Tunavirinae . Moreover, comparative genomic analysis revealed no undesirable genes in the genome of vB - SflS-ISF001, such as antibiotic resistance, virulence, lysogeny, or toxin-coding genes. The results of this investigation indicate that vB - SflS-ISF001 is a new species, and confirm its safety for the biocontrol of S. flexneri., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST: none declared

Objective: To evaluate presence of different subtypes and genetic variations of JC virus in different geographical areas is a useful tool for reconstructing of the genetic information and understanding of the evolution of the virus and also in tracing of the last and present history of human immigration. Materials and methods: This study aimed to investigate the reactivation of different genotypes of JC virus in kidney and its excretion in the urine of the 50 pregnant and 50 non-pregnant women. Phenol-chloroform method was used to extract DNA. Oligo 7 and MEGA 7 software were used for designing nested PCR specific primers based on vp1 capsid gene, and construction of phylogenetic tree, respectively. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analyses. Results: All of the positive samples were sequenced and according to them, genotypes 1 and 3 of the virus were detected for the first time in pregnant and non-pregnant women in Asia. The frequency of genotypes 1 and 3 were 14.28% and 85.71% respectively. Conclusion: For the first time genotype 3 was reported as the frequent genotype in pregnant women in Asia. Confirming these needs more studies particularly with a higher number of cases and full genome sequencing of isolated JCVs.

Purpose: Shigellosis is one of the most important food-borne and water-borne diseases worldwide. Although antibiotics are considered as efficient agents for shigellosis treatment, improper use of these has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Shigella spp. Therefore, finding a new strategy as alternative treatment seems necessary., Methodology: Different samples from a wastewater treatment plant were used to isolate Shigella spp. specific phages. Physiological properties were determined, and genomic analysis was also carried out., Results: A virulent Siphoviridae bacteriophage, vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002, was isolated from urban wastewater in Iran and showed infectivity to different isolates of both Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri. vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002 was stable at different pH values and temperatures. It had a short latent period (15 min), a large burst size (76±9 p.f.u. cell -1 ) and appropriate lytic activity especially at high MOI. Its genome (dsDNA) was 50 564 bp with 45.53 % GC content and 76 predicted open reading frames. According to comparative genomic analysis and phylogenic tree construction, vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002 was considered as a member of the T1virus genus., Conclusion: These results indicated that vB&#95;SsoS-ISF002 is a novel virulent T1virus phage and may have potential as an alternative treatment for shigellosis.

Shigellosis (bacillary dysentery) is an acute enteric infection caused by members of Shigella genus. It causes annual deaths of approximately five million children in developing countries. Among Shigella spp., S. flexneri causes more serious forms of dysentery than other Shigella species. Due to the appearance of multidrug-resistant strains of Shigella spp., it is necessary to find alternative antimicrobial agents. The aims of this study were the isolation of a novel species-specific phage against S. flexneri and to evaluate its potential and efficacy for biocontrolling of S. flexneri in foods. Shigella flexneri PTCC 1234 was used as the host strain for bacteriophage isolation from waste water. A lytic phage of the Siphoviridae family was isolated and designated as vB&#95;SflS-ISF001. The phage activity remained at high levels after 1 h of incubation at - 20 to 50 °C and was fairly stable for 1 h at pH values ranging from 7 to 9. The latent period and burst size were approximately 20 min and 53 ± 4 phages per host cell, respectively. Raw and cooked chicken breast were inoculated with a predetermined amount of S. flexneri and subjected to biocontrol test. The results showed that using vB&#95;SflS-ISF001 phage led to more than two logs reduction in the count of viable S. flexneri . It was demonstrated that using vB&#95;SflS-ISF001 phage is of high potential for developing an alternative strategy against S. flexneri contamination in foodstuffs.

Proteus mirabilis is one of the most common causes of urinary tract infection (UTI), particularly in patients undergoing long-term catheterization. Phage vB&#95;PmiS-TH was isolated from wastewater with high lytic activity against P. mirabilis (TH) isolated from UTI. The phage had rapid adsorption, a large burst size (∼260 PFU per infected cell), and high stability at a wide range of temperatures and pH values. As analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, phage vB&#95;PmiS-TH had an icosahedral head of ∼87 × 62 nm with a noncontractile tail about 137 nm in length and 11 nm in width. It belongs to the family Siphoviridae. Combination of the phage vB&#95;PmiS-TH with ampicillin had a higher removal activity against planktonic cells of P. mirabilis (TH) than the phage or the antibiotic alone. Combination of the phage at a multiplicity of infection of 100 with a high dose of ampicillin (246 µg/mL) showed the highest biofilm removal activity after 24 h. This study demonstrates that using a combination of phage and antibiotic could be significantly more effective against planktonic and biofilm forms of P. mirabilis (TH)., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Pulp vitality and its continuous dentin prodution are essential for long-term success of direct pulp capping (DPC). The aim of present study was to evaluate the histopathological response of the canine pulp following DPC using either different dentin adhesive resins (DAR), calcium hydroxide (CH) or mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA)., Methods and Materials: DPC was done on 72 dog's teeth using 6 types of dental materials ( n =12) (4 types of DAR, white MTA and CH). Therefore, six healthy dogs were anesthetized and 2 teeth from each dog were allocated to either type of mentioned DPC agents. The dental pulps were exposed mechanically by drilling in the center of class V cavities. The different types of capping materials included DARS (Clearfil S3 Bond, Optibond FL, Single Bond and Clearfil SE Bond), white MTA and CH. After 7, 21 and 63 days, two dogs were euthanized in each interval. Microscopic evaluations were done according to following criteria: intensity of inflammation, presence of necrosis and formation of hard tissue. The recorded data were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman, Cochran's and Fisher's exact tests using SPSS software version 12 at significant level of 0.05., Results: No significant differences were found regarding necrosis among DPC materials ( P >0.05). However, MTA caused higher amount of hard tissue formation after 63 days in comparison with 21 days., Conclusion: MTA provided the highest degree of hard tissue formation after 63 days. However, further studies should be performed for administering a definitive material., Competing Interests: ‘None declared’.

In healthy individuals John Cunningham virus is latent without any clinical signs, but in the cases of the use of immunosuppressive drugs in graft recipients, autoimmune diseases and also increasing of age, that the immune system is suppressed it may cause disease in reactivation. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is the well-known disease caused by the virus. It has also been associated with nephropathy and tumorogensis. At present, based on vp1 capsid gene 7 genotypes have been detected. Genetic variations of JC virus in different geographical areas and the presence of different subtypes is a useful tool for reconstructing of the genetic information of JC virus and understanding of its evolution. The aim of this study was to investigate different genotypes of the JC virus in the urine of 100 kidney transplant recipients, 43 rheumatoid arthritis patients, and 100 healthy individuals as control group in Isfahan. DNA was extracted by phenol-chloroform method and subjected to a nested PCR using specific primer for vp1 capsid gene designed by Oligo 7 software. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analyses. Using MEGA 6 software the sequences were aligned using Clustal W tool and phylogenetic trees were constructed by neighbor joining method. Thirty-one positive samples were sequenced. Genotypes 1, 3, and 4 of the virus were detected for the first time in Iran. For the first time genotype 3 was reported as the dominant genotype in Iran. For the first time in the world, genotype 4 was detected in rheumatoid arthritis patients. J. Med. Virol. 89:337-344, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: SEN virus (SENV) is the latest virus proposed as a cause of unknown hepatitis cases. Among nine detected genotypes of the virus, genotypes D and H are more frequent in hepatitis cases of unknown origin. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of SENV-D and SENV-H genotypes in the sera of healthy individuals and hepatitis B and C patients., Methods: Totally, 200 serum samples from healthy individuals as well as 50 hepatitis B and 50 hepatitis C patients were collected. Anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus), anti-human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HBV (hepatitis B virus) core antigen were detected, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured. Viral DNA was subjected to nested PCR. Fisher's exact and unpaired ANOVA tests were used for statistical analyses., Results: SENV was detected in 90%, 66%, and 46% of the healthy individuals HBV and HCV-positive individuals, respectively. The frequency of SENV and its two genotypes were significantly lower in hepatitis B and hepatitis C patients (P<0.01). Also, the frequency of SENV-H was higher than SENV-D in all studied groups. In SENV-positive HBV patients, the level of ALT and AST enzymes were significantly less than SENV-negative patients (P<0.05). It was the same for SENV-H-negative and -positive cases., Conclusions: The levels of liver enzymes were significantly lower in HBV patients co-infected with SENV compared to HBV patients (P<0.05), indicating a positive impact of the virus in liver pathology by decreasing liver damage and thus decreasing the liver enzymes.

Background: Torque Teno Midi Virus/Small Anellovirus (TTMDV/SAV) is a member of the Gammatorquevirus genus within the family Anelloviridae. It is detected in healthy, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus and HIV infected individuals and also patients with acute respiratory disease in different countries, but its role in clinical diseases and its full geographical distribution is still unclear., Objectives: The current study aimed to detect the frequency of infection with TTMDV/SAV in the sera of healthy blood donors, hepatitis C infected and HIV positive individuals in Lorestan province, Iran; and also investigate the possible role of TTMDV/SAV virus in liver diseases., Materials and Methods: Fifty two, 36, 4, and 110 serum samples from HIV positive, patients with HIV/HCV and HIV/HCV/HBV co-infections, and healthy individuals were collected in Khorramabad city, respectively. Nested-polymerase chain reaction was performed using SMAs/SMAr primers to detect TTMDV/SAV DNA. Serum aminotransferases were measured., Results: In the HIV/HCV, HIV/HCV/HBV, HIV, and control cases, 29 (80.5%), 3 (75%), 43 (82.7%), and 16 (14.5%) were positive for DNA of TTMDV/SAV, respectively. In the HIV/HCV infected cases and HIV positive cases the level of Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were not significantly different in TTMDV/SAV infected and non-infected individuals (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Although significant differences (P < 0.01) were observed in the frequency of TTMDV/SAV between healthy controls and each of the HIV positive and HIV/HCV co-infected individuals, no significant difference was observed between HIV positive and HIV/HCV co-infected cases, which may be due to HIV associated immunodeficiency. This is the first time that TTMDV/SAV is reported in HIV infected individuals worldwide. Interpretation of the high frequency of the virus (82.7%) in HIV cases needs more detailed studies.

Background: The worldwide emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria in recent years has caused many problems for hospitals and patients, especially intensive care unit patients. Among these clinically important MDR bacteria are Acinetobacter baumannii complex species (A. baumannii, Acinetobacter genomic species 3 and Acinetobacter genomic species 13TU) that cause a wide range of infections., Methods: The sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of a part of the Zone 1 of rpoB gene was performed for species identification of Acinetobacter isolates obtained from ICU patients with infected burns hospitalized in a hospital in Isfahan, Iran, over a 9-month period. Antibiotic sensitivity of Acinetobacter isolates was investigated using the disk diffusion method and different classes of antibiotics including amikacin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, imipenem and piperacillin., Results: Acinetobacter spp. were isolated from 10 of 80 (12.5%) investigated patients. All of the 10 Acinetobacter isolates were identified as Acinetobacter baumannii and multi-drug resistant according to antibiotic susceptibility tests., Conclusion: Of the Acinetobacter baumannii complex members, only A. baumannii species was identified among the isolates obtained from patients with infected burns in an Isfahan hospital over a 9-month period.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is known as a common pathogen in nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Sewage acts as an environmental reservoir and may have a significant role in development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance., Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine the epidemiological relatedness between the MRSA isolated from sewage and human infections., Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from a referral hospital and also a sewage treatment plant in Tehran, Iran, during 2010. All the MRSA isolates were identified at the species level and typed using Phene plate (PhP) system and SCCmec typing. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were also performed., Results: Of the 1142 isolates, 200 MRSA strains from the sewage (n = 100) and the clinic (n = 100) were isolated. Distinct PhP types, consisting of 16 common types and 13 single types, and also 3 different staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types (III, IVa and IVc) were found amongst the MRSA isolated from the two different sources. The results of antibiotic susceptibility testing showed an increased resistance to penicillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline. In addition, none of the isolates showed resistance to vancomycin, quinupristin -dalfopristin and linezolid., Conclusions: The presence of common PhP types and also SCCmec type III, as an indicator for hospital strains, among the isolates, may indicate an epidemiological link between clinical and sewage MRSA isolates in Tehran.

One of the most economically important bacterial pathogens of plants and plant products is Dickeya dadantii. This bacterium causes soft rot disease in tubers and other parts of the potato and other plants of the Solanaceae family. The application of restricted host range bacteriophages as biocontrol agents has recently gained widespread interest. This study purposed to isolate the infectious agent of the potato and evaluate its biocontrol by bacteriophages. Two phytopathogenic strains were isolated from infected potatoes, identified based on biochemical and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and submitted to GenBank as D. dadantii strain pis3 (accession no. HQ423668) and D. dadantii strain sip4 (accession no. HQ423669). Their bacteriophages were isolated from Caspian Sea water by enriching the water filtrate with D. dadantii strains as hosts using spot or overlay methods. On the basis of morphotypes, the isolated bacteriophages were identified as members of the Myoviridae and Siphoviridae families and could inhibit the growth of antibiotic resistant D. dadantii strains in culture medium. Moreover, in Dickeya infected plants treated with bacteriophage, no disease progression was detected. No significant difference was seen between phage-treated and control plants. Thus, isolated bacteriophages can be suggested for the biocontrol of plant disease caused by Dickeya strains.

Background: Halomethanes are toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, which are widely used in industry. Also they can be formed during water disinfection by chlorine. Biodegradation by methylotrophs is the most important way to remove these pollutants from the environment., Objectives: This study aimed to represent a simple and rapid method for quantitative study of halomethanes utilizing bacteria in drinking water and also a method to facilitate the biodegradation of these compounds in the environment compared to cometabolism., Materials and Methods: Enumeration of chlorinated methane utilizing bacteria in drinking water was carried out by most probable number (MPN) method in two steps. First, the presence and the number of methylotroph bacteria were confirmed on methanol-containing medium. Then, utilization of dichloromethane was determined by measuring the released chloride after the addition of 0.04 mol/L of it to the growth medium. Also, the effect of nanosilver particles on biodegradation of multiple chlorinated methanes was studied by bacterial growth on Bushnell-Haas Broth containing chloroform (trichloromethane) that was treated with 0.2 ppm nanosilver., Results: Most probable number of methylotrophs and chlorinated methane utilizing bacteria in tested drinking water were 10 and 4 MPN Index/L, respectively. Chloroform treatment by nanosilver leads to dechlorination and the production of formaldehyde. The highest growth of bacteria and formic acid production were observed in the tubes containing 1% chloroform treated with nanosilver., Conclusions: By combining the two tests, a rapid approach to estimation of most probable number of chlorinated methane utilizing bacteria is introduced. Treatment by nanosilver particles was resulted in the easier and faster biodegradation of chloroform by bacteria. Thus, degradation of these chlorinated compounds is more efficient compared to cometabolism.

Recently, the relationship between immunoreactivity to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and hypo-vitamin D in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients has been described. The aim of this study was to investigate whether vitamin D3 supplementation in MS patients could influence the immune response against latent EBV infection. Forty MS patients were recruited in this study. Twenty-seven patients were supplemented with 50,000 IU/week of vitamin D3 for 6 months and thirteen enrolled as controls. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels and IgG titers against EBNA1 and VCA were determined pre- and post-supplementation. All the patients were seropositive for EBV prior to vitamin D supplementation. In this cohort, 22.5% and 47.5% of the MS patients had deficient and insufficient levels of 25OHD, respectively. Our findings confirm that antibody titers against EBV in MS patients rise after the onset of the disease and indicate that vitamin D3 supplementation could limit augmentation of these titers in MS patients., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To date, a few numbers of bacteriophages that infect Lactococcus garvieae have been identified, but their complete genome sequences have not yet been investigated. For the first time, herein, the complete DNA sequence of a new phage of L. garvieae (phage WP-2) is reported and analyzed. The morphological characteristics indicated that the phage had a small isometric head along with a short and non-contractile tail, suggesting that WP-2 belongs to the family Podoviridae. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that phage WP-2 can be classified as a new member of Ahjdlikevirus in the Picovirinae subfamily because it had a small dsDNA of 18,899 bp with 24 open reading frames and a protein-primed DNA polymerase. The phage nucleotide sequence and predicted protein products have been identified to share very limited evidence of homology with complete genome and proteome of other phages. To our knowledge, this is the first Ahjdlikevirus bacteriophage which can infect a member of the Lactococcus genus., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lactococcus garvieae is an emerging pathogen responsible for lactococcosis, a serious disease in trout aquaculture. The identification of new bacteriophages against L. garvieae strains may be an effective way to fight this disease and to study the pathogen's biology. Three L. garvieae phages, termed WP-1, WWP-2 and SP-2, were isolated from different environments, and their morphological features, genome restriction profiles and structural protein patterns were studied. Random cloning of HindIII-cut fragments was performed, and the fragments were partially sequenced for each phage. Although slight differences were observed by transmission electron microscopy, all of the phages had hexagonal heads and short non-contractile tails and were classified as members of the family Podoviridae. Restriction digestion analysis of the nucleic acids of the different phages revealed that the HindIII and AseI digests produced similar DNA fragment patterns. Additionally, SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the isolated phages have similar structural proteins. The sequence BLAST results did not show any significant similarity with other previously identified phages. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first molecular characterization of L. garvieae phages.

Here, we report the first genome sequence of a new virulent phage of Microbacterium oxydans, termed vB&#95;MoxS-ISF9, which was isolated from sewage. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the isolated phage, which has a hexagonal head of about 80 nm in diameter and a long non-contractile tail of about 240 nm, belongs to the family Siphoviridae. The vB&#95;MoxS-ISF9 DNA was completely sequenced and found to be 59,254 bp in length, with a G+C content of 62.76% and 120 putative open reading frames (ORFs). The predicted protein products of the ORFs were identified, and their sequences were analyzed. In a comparison with all available phage genomes, vB&#95;MoxS-ISF9 did not show any significant similarity to other previously reported bacteriophages. To the beast of our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation and complete genomic sequencing of a virulent phage against a member of the genus Microbacterium.

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. Recent studies show that human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is present in all cervical carcinomas and in some cervicitis cases, with some geographical variation in viral subtypes. Therefore determination of the presence of HPV in the general population of each region can help reveal the role of these viruses in tumors., Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the frequency of infection with HPV in cervicitis, cervical adenocarcinoma, intraepithelial neoplasia and squamus cell carcinoma samples from the Isfahan Province, Iran., Patients and Methods: One hundred and twenty two formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue samples of crevicitis cases and different cervix tumors including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) (I, II, III), squamus cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma were collected from histopathological files of Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan. Data about histopathological changes were collected by reexamination of the hematoxylin and eosin stained sections. DNA was extracted and subjected to Nested PCR using consensus primers, MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+, designed for amplification of a conserved region of the genome coding for L1 protein., Results: In total 74.5% of the tested samples were positive for HPV. Amongst the tested tumors 8 out of 20 (40%) of CIN (I, II, III), 5 out of 21 (23.8%) of adenocarcinoma cases and 78 out of 79 chronic cervicitis cases were positive for HPV., Conclusions: The rate of different carcinomas and also the rate of HPV infection in each case were lower than other reports from different countries. This could be correlated with the social behavior of women in the area, where they mostly have only one partner throughout their life, and also the rate of smoking behavior of women in the studied population. On the other hand the rate of HPV infection in chronic cervicitis cases was much higher than cases reported by previous studies. This necessitates more attention to the role of human papillomaviruses in the their induction in the studied area.

Experimental infection of Muscovy ducks with V4 strain of Newcastle disease virus was undertaken to determine the response of the ducks to the virus and the possibility of virus transmission to ducks and chickens in village like conditions. Twelve ducks were randomly and equally divided into three groups of control, inoculated and in-contact. Additionally, the chickens were placed into two groups of four animals each, namely in-contact and control. The inoculated and in-contact ducks and in-contact chickens were kept together. The eye drop route was used for inoculation and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies were measured for assessment of antibody response and cloacal and pharyngeal swabs were used for detection of the virus. The primary antibody response of inoculated ducks was very high and rapid (geometric mean titers [Log base 2] of up to 5.75 ± 0.50). The in-contact ducks showed antibody response with the same pattern but lower titers than the inoculated ducks (geometric mean titers [Log base 2] of up to 3.25 ± 1.70). The in-contact chickens showed a slight increase of HI antibody (geometric mean titers [Log base 2] of up to 2.25 ± 1.25) while the control chickens did not show any increase. The antibody response indicated the transmission of the virus to contact ducks and chickens. A single isolation of virus confirmed the ability of ducks to excrete the virus. It was concluded that the V4 strain of Newcastle disease virus was highly antigenic for ducks, and ducks can transmit it to other ducks and also in-contact chickens.